Reaction
by FrostPrince
Summary: Neptune/Sun one shot. An afternoon of both physical and verbal fights ends in admittance of feelings no one wanted to bring up.


Author's Note: After recently discovering I shipped SeaMonkeys harder than anything else ever, I had to get it out of my body. So here's the result.

The afternoon sunlight flooded the dorm room with a dream-like orange, setting everything in its path aglow. Mainly subjected to that were the four clustered beds that dominated the room, with their random assortment of things lazily left there by my teammates. Half of whom hardly hung out with me, preferring to get acquainted with anyone other than the friends our one completely messy bed's owner made, and by extension me.

Musky, food-y, generally dorm-y smells consumed my adjusted nostrils per usual as I heard the click that meant my weapon was fully-functional once more. Running a hand along the reflective metal, I basked in my genius.

"I'm totally not arrogant," I murmured to myself reassuringly.

"Not true!"

I cringed as a tanned ripple of colors came to stand over me, his unbridled intrigue included.

"Assassinate me while you're at it," I droned, caressing my ears to relieve the pain as I stared down (more like side-glanced) my shorter, buffer best friend.

"That's a compliment, right?" Sun grinned, all teeth and wide eyes. "So, you have your weapon out why?"

"Neptune, get your butt down here! Crescent Rose is bored and huuungryyyyy!" Ruby screeched from outside her window, a couple of floors down. Her personality was an object of endless fascination and mild discomfort to my calmer mind. It's like half of the team finished the world's whole supply of chocolate while the other half's brains forgot most emotions aside from "I-am-not-amused". Unless one of those two, a certain snow angel, happened to notice I was there. In which case it was the chocoholics, the cat that wasn't amused and the ogling snow queen.

Great friends, truly. Off-putting, but great nonetheless.

"I'm gonna go dislocate a few limbs for fun," I answered briskly.

"Their limbs?" Sun raised an eyebrow, flicking his tail side to side in what I assumed was anticipation. I became fixated on the distracting movement.

"Er, no, more like mine," I awkwardly laughed, the mental image of Yang's gauntlets menacing my poor mind's eye. I shook my head and stared straight ahead. "Feel free to watch and or join. Like them olden days."

"Heeeck yeees!" Sun mused, pivoting around and grabbing his collapsible staff from his bed's side table. "I need to kick some butt after, you know…us getting totaled by a giant robot controlled by a cult leader hell-bent on killing us and-"

"No need to remind us," I piped.

"-And it WAS kind of your fault for letting yourself get knocked into me, though I totally respect that you aren't as, er, good at fighting as I am, but like-"

"Seriously, I will contort you into a pretzel," I deadpanned.

"Shutting up and walking," Sun relented.

He made a show of stiffly exiting the room, much to my enjoyment. Sealing the door with my Scroll, I hurried to catch up to my enthusiastic teammate, trying not to linger behind and make him have any degree of suspicion.

As we strolled along, Sun probed, "So we're gonna be fighting team RWBY?"

"Yeees?" I dragged on in wonder.

"Females," Sun continued.

"Yes."

"Females who, conveniently, have…female body parts."

"I would say I don't know what you're getting at, but it's clearly sexual."

"Woah, don't put words in my mouth," Sun gasped in mock offense, smirking slyly afterwards. "I'm just saying that, well, they ARE very, you know, likable."

"Totally," I nodded.

"And, I mean, they DO…what's that phrase, 'seem to fancy you'?" He spoke in a high-pitched, stereotypical 'gentleman' accent. My monkey boy casually nudged my shoulder, too suggestively for my taste

"Okay, just because they like me, does not mean I necessarily reTURN those feelings," I pointed out evenly. "Even if I did, it's not like I'd act on it."

"Come on, you flirt with girls all the time," Sun cawed. "You can't tell me you don't make moves."

"It's more me being… overly NICE than anything else," I tried to explain. It was particularly difficult to do so with Sun's presence, especially with his wide, questioning eyes, making me shrink into myself. "I can compliment people, as any polite individual would do. That's just who I am in public."

Sun snickered. "Yeah, whatever dude. You're totally crushing on Yang and Weiss and I know it."

I had an entire pan of snarky-ness to get out of me, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. The classic Sun could make me do nothing but sigh fondly.

Training rooms in Beacon were essentially rooms of friction-enabling steel floor and crimson-colored, carpeted walls and ceilings. Massive kinetics-proof stain glass murals filtered sunlight from above. The rooms were wider when walking in than they were longer. As Sun and I entered the proper one, I took my weapon off my back and…

Couldn't really do anything with it since it disappeared from my hands.

"Let it go," Weiss crossed her arms, reaching her leader in a few strides.

"Just let me hold it please only for a second I just want to see how it works Neptune come on be a good friend don't leave me on my lonesome I haven't seen it yet it's shinier than I thought what propulsion system do you use-"

"A hunter never reveals his secrets to the enemy," I responded smoothly, gently plucking my weapon from her death grip.

"Exactly how I would put it," Weiss nodded in agreement, though I think it was agreement with what her eyes were screaming. Dear universe, please let me be alone with this boy for FIVE minutes. You can do that for me, right?

It truly did pain me to see Ruby's dejected expression, so I winked. "Later, Rose Pedal."

Ruby inhaled ecstatically. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU HOLY COW I'M SO GLAD THANK YOU!"

Weiss scoffed. "You're not special just 'cause you're getting some tinker time with him, you know."

Totally jealous. Should I have liked that? Because the reality of me not liking it just left me feeling embarrassed on the inside.

Yang giggled from behind the action. "So, who's going first?"

"I propose we engage in trio-based combat," Weiss suggested. "That way…"

"We do team stuff all the tiiiiime," Ruby sighed audibly. "Some good ol' one-on-one action would be soooo cool!"

"It would be useful to practice fighting alone," Blake nodded in agreement, clamping a book shut. I made a mental note to ask for some loans.

"Oh, but we don't wanna leave people hangin' on the sidelines," Sun argued, playfully fluttering his eyes my way. "Some people need more practice right now to get better, Not including myself, but people."

"You keep telling yourself that," I snickered.

"You know you love me." Sun relaxed his arms behind his head. I turned away in fear of looking at how it further stretched open his shirt.

Yang smiled. "Sorry, gang…or should I say, y-"

"No, you really shouldn't," Weiss interjected.

"-but threesome battles it is."

"Rawr," Sun sounded.

'Ew," Weiss scowled.

"Yang, Weiss and Sun are just one half of a vote," I helpfully noted.

Sun gave me puppy dog eyes…or baby monkey eyes, I don't know. Sad human eyes, which are monkey eyes, especially since it's Sun...

"…Trio battles it is," I resigned.

"Great!" Yang exclaimed. "How about Ruby, Blake and I versus Weiss, Sun and Neptune?"

"Why can't Weiss be with us?" Ruby blinked.

"No, no," Weiss wagged a firm finger. "You're not taking me away from this opportunity again…"

Everyone stared in confusion.

"I mean…I feel it would be best if I learned more about how to manage without your undoubtedly SPECIAL leadership skills," Weiss chuckled.

"…OKAY!" Ruby squealed.

With a sigh of relief, Weiss came to join my side, Sun doing the same. We all turned on our scrolls' aura trackers and tucked them away. Yang activated her Ember Celica and took a stance. Ruby smirked playfully as she wielded her looming Crescent Rose, and Blake stared coldly into space as she gripped Gambol Shroud.

"Follow my lead," Weiss advised, pointing Myrtenaster at our opponents. "I've devised a simple strategy."

"You took the time to think about us in your strategy?" Sun asked.

"…" Weiss focused on the ground.

All of us waited tensely.

Fixating our gazes on each other.

Not uttering even a sigh of exhale.

…

…

…

…

…

Ruby made the first move.

The swift spiral of red was met with resistance in the form of Weiss' dust shot, effectively cancelling her move out. She dropped like dead weight. Yang popped up from behind her and charged at Weiss.

And so the battle began.

Both sides had tried to coordinate battle strategies with each other, but whenever I attempted this with Sun it usually led to stuff like this…

"We make a great team."

"After years of this, I expect no less...SUN! ON YOUR LEFT!"

"Aw, thanks for caring for me."

"Anytime."

"I love it when you're mushy."

"If you keep distracting me, my mushiness will transcend the metaphorical level into the physical. From getting hit...by the opponent…'cause you distracted me…"

"I got it."

Eventually, the other three howled in victory.

Weiss demanded that she be released from her rebounded ice blast. Yang used her remaining bit of battle excitement to ignite her semblance, unfreezing her teammate.

"Well…I believe we can all agree that this was a very...interesting battle practice," the heiress concluded.

"Yeah, it was," Sun nodded fervently, cackling. "Who knew you could suck as much as you did?"

"You reckless, ungraceful…!" Weiss snapped, pouting, which only made everyone laugh.

"Come on, I need fooood!" Ruby whined. "I hate that semblances come with a cost, but I love that I can eat practically anything and everything afterwards."

"If you finish our stock again, the groceries will come from YOUR allowance," Yang threatened playfully.

"Oh, my wonderful sister, you would never resort to such things," Ruby let out a 'pft'.

"I think food is too important to everyone for anyone to joke about it," I commented in mock offense.

"Speaking of food, I'm starving," Sun said. "For actual food this time. Cough, Neptune's sushi."

"Last one to the dorm is a monkey's uncle," I joked.

Sun pursed his lips in mock disappointment.

"It's only funny when you do it, I know," I rolled my eyes.

"See? You're learning," Sun grinned wolfishly, collapsing his staff. Team RWBY left first, Sun and I trailing behind until we parted ways at a rounded hallway. From there the two of us continued walking, chatting as the glass wall to our right let the late afternoon scene in. Lamps illuminated the school gardens, and I distracted myself by staring at them and looking away to see their negative imprints on my vision.

My scroll beeped.

"Greetings once again, Neptune," Weiss nodded courteously.

"What's up?" Sun asked, butting in to give a wave.

"Real cool, dude," I whispered.

"Ask her if she likes long midnight walks," Sun chortled. "Maybe you can…"

"Aaaas I was TRYING to say," Weiss spoke through venomously clenched teeth, "I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure working with an individual well-versed in combat, such as yourself."

"Same to you," I replied, activating my suave attitude.

"I look forward to more," she nodded. "As a respectable person, I felt it necessary to make this call. So…that is all. Have a wonderful evening."

"You, as well," I nodded, flashing a smile that would win the award for most genuine while feeling awkward inside at the same time.

She hung up.

"Aw, you missed your chance," Sun told me, feigning pity.

"You're especially obnoxious today, you know." I raised an eyebrow. "In an obsessively perverted way."

"No, I'm not!" Sun waved it off.

"You're making big deals out of me and others getting together," I retorted, crossing my arms. Sun was up to mysterious antics, which both confused and possibly irritated me.

"Hey, I just wanna see my friend happy, is all," Sun countered.

"That's fine, just ease up on the forcefulness, 'kay?" I recommended.

"Fine, if you don't like me complimenting you, be that way," Sun spat.

What the hell?

"Where's this coming from?" I demanded. Sun was taking strides to distance himself from me. He remained silent until I laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You made me angry," Sun pointed out, eyes narrowed and tail curled, as it is when he's extremely emotional. "When I'm angry, I try not talking to people."

"But I don't understand." My hand gestures were kicking in, I noticed. Caring about what I do makes me do that.

"I don't wanna explain."

"I want to know, though."

"Oh well."

"I don't like making you angry, but this is coming from nowhere and I don't think it's called for. Please help me understand," I said, my eyes pleading with Sun's persistently stubborn ones. I was tempted to say he was overreacting, but didn't want to sound like an insensitive jerk. "Isn't friendship mainly based on empathy?"

Sun was silent.

I was trying to keep myself composed, but this rapid walking, this avoidance of the problem, was not what I signed up for. I held out a gentle but firm hand before completely blocking Sun's path with my body, arms extended at my sides.

"Honestly, I don't care at this point," Sun exhaled. "Just go and be happy with the others. I don't care."

"Really?" I snorted, "'cause it sounds like you're jealous. Are you, like, into me?"

Sun gave me this stare…

…I gave a meek "oh".

"Yeah." Sun's words felt dead in the air.

My face muscles betrayed me when I opened my mouth. I vowed to punish them later.

"It's not like I care," Sun continued, radiating anger…most likely laced with his true feeling: envy. "I know you'll be happy with some girl. I'm helping that happen, and then that'll be done."

"Sun," I sighed. "A, I'm pan-fucking-sexual. B, I like you too, you dork. In THAT way."

Sun scoffed…and then gave a somber, almost wild expression. "Seriously?"

"I guess it wasn't obvious?" I rubbed my arm sheepishly. "I don't think about it, you know? Well, I don't think of you. Because I kind of…like you. And I don't really hit on other guys 'cause I like...you. Yeah."

…

…

…

…

…

"This is kinda super awkward."

"Sorry," Sun scrached the back of his head sheepishly. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"I totally get the reaction." Again with the wide hand movements. I'd never felt so self-conscious while conveying a point before. "You don't have to feel that way. I just wasn't prepared for any of this and even now I'm not sure how to explain myself 'cause I'm not used to this kind of stuff and…"

"I get it," Sun cut in, his lips parted into a smile that might've encompassed his face if let loose.

I didn't know what I was doing when I took a step closer. "Sage and Scarlet are gonna laugh at all this."

"Not that they need to know," Sun dragged on cheekily.

"You wanna be, like, undercover?"

Sun shrugged. "I don't know."

I shrugged, moving closer and curling my fingers around his. "Hm," I sounded. "Well, I'm okay with whatever."

I moved my hands to his torso, be it purposely or subconsciously. I felt the furry tail coil around my waist too late to expect Sun's lips impatiently locking to mine. I felt numb, weightless, excluding the intense euphoria that sparked at my lips and traveled everywhere in swift lightning crackles. I tried to feel him in his entirety, mapping his muscular landscape with my hands, his arms to his chest to his stomach that never stopped taunting me on a daily basis. I grabbed and pushed and felt. My legs intertwined with his as we pushed ourselves to the wall.

"Do you not know how to wear a shirt?" I hissed through his lips.

"I like it," Sun replied in a moan, "and evidently, so do you."

My smile pressed against him gave me away. Sun draped his arms around my neck and sank into a more sensual embrace. He clutched the back of my head with one hand as the other breached my jacket, trailing my back, tracing sporadic paths along my shirt. I firmly held his head closer, needing the pressure of his body to crush me until I couldn't tell who or where I was.

The moment ran its course. Without needing to speak, we broke apart. I rested my forehead on his, going through a cycle of breathing in his scent and breathing out just as quickly.

Sun looked up at me. He panted.

I returned the gaze, my smile flooding my eyes.

"I guess I can stop jerking to you while you sleep."

"What?"

"Nothing."


End file.
